Outrun the Night
by Thedragoness821
Summary: Set after 'Dance with the Devil'. Alt outcome; Cavanaugh has been disciplined and reassigned for his actions against Doyle in the bathroom. A killer with a disturbingly familiar signature surfaces and Jane becomes the focus of a stalker. Someone from her past returns and makes things even more complicated. Not a rizzles story.
1. Chapter 1

_Notes: although I have been a fan of this show for quite a while, I never got around to writing fiction for this fandom. This story will be going in a bit of a different direction than many of the stories out there, and it likely will be going in a slightly different direction than the show (I say likely, because my writing tends to take on a mind of it's own and sometimes, it surprises even me)._

_Summary: set after the events of 'Dance with the Devil' , and explores what would have happened if Cavanaugh had been disciplined for his actions against Doyle in the bathroom._

* * *

"Ahhhhh come to momma." Jane said to herself as she pawed at the fresh pot of coffee in the bullpen.

"You ... have an addiction. "

Jane spooked and had to perform a masterful juggling act to keep from dropping the pot of coffee, or her cup.

"Geez, Maura!" Jane said as she returned the pot to the burner.

"Jitters is a sign of caffeine overdose." Maura said matter of factly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hey, look at it this way, at least it's not drugs." Jane replied with a grin as she took a deep sip.

"Ahhhhhhh ...!" She said as an expression of bliss washed over her face.

"You're wasting your breath, doc. " Korsak said as he reached for the pot.

"And before you get on _my_ ass, this is my first cup this morning. " he said, grinning as he raised his mug to them in a toast.

Their voices fell into the background as Jane's gaze fell on Cavanaugh's office.

"Hey, you okay kiddo?" Korsak said as he put a hand on Jane's shoulder.

"Just wondering who's gonna be taking Cavanaugh's position. " she said.

"He should be counting himself lucky that he just got reassigned and not _fired_." Korsak said.

"I heard that all the layoffs and budget cuts ended up coming back to bite them in the ass, and now they're having a hard time finding someone. " Frost said as he joined them.

"Jane! Now really...!" Maura scolded Jane as she refilled her cup.

"But it's soooo good!" Jane said in a mock orgasmic tone as she let her eyes flutter closed.

Frost tried in vain to muffle a snort, Korsak laughed openly, not even bothering to hide it.

"You're impossible, and you are all a bunch of ... enablers!" Maura said, just then, all their phones buzzed.

"Saved by the bell." Jane said with a dry grin.

"This discussion is not over!" Maura said as she grabbed her coat.

* * *

"Christ." Jane cursed under her breath as they ducked under the police tape.

It was a young woman. Her mouth had been cut ear to ear.

Snapping on a pair of gloves, Jane gently lifted up the woman's dress.

"Maura, what do you make of this?"

"Jane, you know that I won't know anything definitive until I can get her back to my lab, and I hate to specuate." Maura replied.

"Humor me." Jane replied.

"If I HAD to guess, I would say that it looks to me like her reproductive organs have been removed. But I refused to say anything else until I am able to get her back to my lab and perform an autopsy." Maura said.

"Anything?" Jane said as Frost and Korsak joined her.

"The workers who found the body are still too shook up to really be of any help." Korsak said.

"Yeah, I can imagine stumbling on this first thing in the morning'll ruin anyone's day." Frost said as he made a point to look anywhere but at the victim.

"Jane?" Korsak said as noticed her staring at the poor woman, her expression far away and lost in thought.

"Yeah ... I'm alright it's just ... something about this seems so ... familiar. I just can't put my finger on it." She said as she watched the CSI's bag the body.

* * *

"Hey, ma." Jane said as she heaved herself down.

"Rough day already, huh?" Angela said as she pushed a cup of coffee toward Jane.

"Just the same old, stuff, only that all the layoffs and budget cuts have come back to bite the department in the ass, because now they're scrambling to find a replacement for ..." Jane trailed off as she grimaced and mentally kicked herself and her big mouth.

"I'm sorry, ma, I didn't even think to ask how you're holding up with all this. I'm such a terrible daughter. " jane said as she put her face in her hands.

"No, you're not! You had a lot going on, both at work, and all the stuff with Casey, and this case." Angela said as Frankie slid into the seat beside his sister, smiling ear to ear.

"I don't want to talk about him." Jane growled.

"Things happen for a reason, Jane. Even if it's not obvious right away." Angela said as she squeezed her daughter's hand.

"Well, at least SOMEONE got something positive out of all this." Jane grumbled.

"Be happy for your brother! He's worked really hard to get a spot in the drug unit!" Angela chastised.

"It's nice to see that the budget cuts and layoffs have helped SOMEONE." Jane said dryly.

"Uh ... yeah!" Frankie said a little too quickly as he and Angela exchanged looks.

"What are you two not telling me ...?" Jane said as her gaze flew from her mother to her brother, neither would meet her eyes.

"Jane, just... promise me you'll at least TRY to have an open mind." Her mother said as she put her hand over hers.

"Open mind about ...what?" Jane said slowly.

"Jane Rizzoli."

Jane's eyes squeezed shut at the familiar smooth voice with its thick Latino accent.

"Kill me now ..." she trailed off as she buried her face in her hands.

"Remember Jane, open mind." Angela said as she brandished her towel at her as she turned to him.

"Lieutenant Martinez!" She said as she smiled, her eyes sparkling.

Jane rolled her eyes as she groaned inwardly. Martinez could make almost any woman weak in the knees, and the problem was that he _knew_ it.

Martinez sidled up to the bar next to her, close enough that their shoulders brushed one another, that simple act caused liquid heat to pool in the pit of her stomach and spread to some very unprofessional places.

"Buenos días, querida. Such a pleasure to see you again." He said as he flashed a charming smile.

"Good morning to you, too." Angela said, her cheeks reddening as she poured him a cup of coffee.

"On the house." She said as he reached for his wallet.

"Muchas gracias, senora." He said charmingly as he turned to Frankie.

"Congratulations on landing a spot on the drug unit, vato." He said as he clapped Frankie on the back.

"Thanks to your letter of recommendation. " Frankie said, a bit sheepish.

Jane turned to Martinez.

"You wrote a letter of recommendation on his behalf?" She said, surprised, as though his apparent act of generosity was beyond her comprehension.

Martinez' dark eyes darted to hers.

"I did." He said.

A beat passed between them as they locked eyes, and his gaze heated.

Jane nervously cleared her throat, why did it suddenly seem so hot in here?

"Well ... uh ... I'm sure Frankie really appreciated it. So I guess I'll … be seeing you around?" She said as she stood up quickly.

"You haven't heard?" He said smoothly.

"Heard ... what?" She said slowly.

"The Chief of Detectives assigned me to homicide until a replacement for lieutenant Cavanaugh could be found."

Jane opened her mouth, but closed it again.

"I never thought I would live to see my sister speechless." Frankie said jokingly. Angela smacked him on the shoulder as she gave him a warning look.

"It's nice to be working with you again, Rizzoli." He purred as he bid Angela and Frankie goodbye and headed upstairs.

"Oh God ... kill me now." Jane said as she collapsed forward onto the bar.

"I have to get going, too, hang in there, sis, Martinez is actually a pretty cool guy, just give him a chance." He said as he gave his sister a reassuring pat on the back as he trotted out.

"It is what it is, just make the best of it, okay?" Angela added.

"I guess I don't have a choice." Jane said as she met her mother's gaze.

"Hey look at it this way... at least he's easy on the eyes." Angela said as she fanned herself.

'That's the problem.' Jane thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

"Her kidneys and her reproductive organs have been removed and the precision of the cuts means that he had some kind of medical knowledge. I also found this. " Maura said as she gestured to what looked to be a beer bottle.

"It was … inserted into her vagina with such force that it ruptured her peritoneum." Maura said

"Good god, please tell me that was done post mortem." Jane said.

"The evidence suggests that she was ... alive when this was inserted into her, there is significant trauma to the genital region, I also found shards of glass in her vagina, evidence that it was shoved in multiple times, and the deep ligature marks on her wrists and ankles suggest that she .. struggled as this was being done to her. But that's not the most disturbing thing about this." Maura said.

"Oh, it's not?" Jane interjected dryly.

Maura rolled her eyes as she continued.

"Something about this seemed familiar to me, so I did some research and ... I think we have a copycat killer."

"Christ, so we have a groupie on our hands. Which serial killer fan club is this mutt sending his subscriptions to?" Jane said as she ran her hand through her hair.

After a long pause, Maura finally answered.

"Jack the ripper."

* * *

"Heather Davis. Twenty three, sophomore at BU where she was working on her engineering degree. She lived on campus, but according to her suite mates she mostly kept to herself and kept her nose in the books." Korsak said as they all stood around the evidence board.

"Just an ordinary girl with an ordinary name." Jane said to no one in particular.

"He had to find her somewhere, I say we hit the coffee shops and cafes in the area." Jane said.

"Great idea, Frost and I will take one half ... you and Martinez take the other." Korsak said as he pinned Jane with a stern look that said _'you need to learn how to play nice!'_

"Fine! But I'm driving." Jane said.

* * *

"I got nothing, a few baristas have seen her, but she was always alone and they didn't remember seeing anything suspicious. So either this guy is damn good, or he really did pick her at random." Jane said as she met back up with Martinez.

"Oh, he definitely didn't pick her at random, according to Rebecca, he had been following her for some time." He said.

"Rebecca?" Jane quipped with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, she was a wealth of information, very helpful. " he replied.

"I'm... sure she was." Jane said, not completely succeeding in keeping the venom out of her tone.

Martinez' face broke into a slow, wide grin.

"You're jealous."

"What?! No! I am merely irritated at women's willingness to throw themselves at you! It's like they have no self control!" Jane growled in reply.

"That sounds a lot like jealousy to me, I am surprised your eyes aren't turning green." He replied.

"I am not jealous! To be jealous I would ... need to ... have ... feelings ... which I don't ... so I can't be ..." She sputtered in reply, inwardly cursing as a traitorous blush bloomed across her cheeks.

"Right." He replied with a chuckle, his dark eyes twinkling.

Jane whirled on him as they reached their car.

"You might think you're God's gift to women, and to some, you might be. But one day you're going to meet your match, and I hope I live to see it."

Martinez' amused grin fell away and was replaced with a smoldering look as he closed the small distance between them, leaving almost no space.

"Who says I _haven't_?" He said, his normally smooth voice had a husky undertone to it as he held her gaze.

Jane drew herself up to her full height, which thanks to her boots, was almost as tall as he.

"IF that ever happens, I'll have to warn the poor girl." She said as she turned on her heel and strode around to the passenger side of their car.

Martinez let out the breath he didn't even realize he had been holding. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had gotten under his skin the way Jane had. She drove him mad with desire while at the same time made him want to _punch_ a hole in the wall. Most women basically threw themselves at him and were quite eager to give him whatever he wanted. Not Jane, she was _no_ pushover, and she gave as good as she got ... and he liked it.

* * *

Frost gave a low whistle as Jane walked in wearing a sleek black business skirt and matching blazer.

"I love the days when you have to he in court." He said.

"Don't make me write you up for sexual harassment." Jane said with a laugh as she grabbed a cup of coffee.

"Paddy's trial?" Korsak interjected, Jane nodded as she took a deep sip of her coffee.

Martinez strode around the corner and stopped in his tracks. He cursed inwardly, he forgot she had court today … and she always wore a skirt to court.

Korsak nudged Frost.

"que estas mirando amigo?" Korsak asked with a chuckle, even though he already knew the answer.

Jane turned to meet his eyes, Martinez was caught off guard for a moment, but he recovered quickly.

"sólo disfrutando de la vista." He replied with a dry grin as his eyes traveled to Jane's long, shapely legs.

Korsak raised an amused eyebrow, but remained silent.

"Okay ... well ... I have to get to court, I'll catch up with you guys later." She said as she strode out.

Martinez shook his head, chuckling as he strode over to his desk.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day ..." Korsak trailed off.

"Live to see what day?" Frost said.

"Martinez falling for someone, instead of the other way around."

"Martinez and Jane?! No way! They can't stand one another!" Frost exclaimed.

Korsak chuckled.

"You have a lot to learn about love, my young friend."

* * *

Jane kicked off her high heels as she shuffled into her apartment.

"I don't know how Maura wears these damn things every day." Jane said to Jo Friday as she rubbed her feet painfully.

There was a reason she always wore pants and boots, even if she did like the way her legs looked in a skirt and high heels, the pain just wasn't worth it.

It was then she noticed it, a small manilla envelope that had been pushed under her door. She picked it up and looked it over. No return address.

Yawning, she tossed it onto the table and went to the fridge to grab a beer. She popped the cap off and haphazardly tossed it into the sink as she grabbed a letter opener and tore into the envelope.

"What the ..." she trailed off as she dumped the contents onto the table. They were pictures; of her leaving work, coming home, going to Maura's ... and pictures of her working the crime scenes.

"Son of a bitch!" She cursed.

On the back of every photo was the phrase 'vigilabo ego sum vobis.'


	3. Chapter 3

"And where did you say you found this, and is it too much to hope that you handled this with gloves?" Maura said as she looked the envelope and the pictures over.

"Yes, Maura, I always use evidence gloves when I open my mail." Jane said dryly, but Maura was unaffected by her snark.

"What does this mean, though? It's written on the back of every picture." Jane said

"It's Latin, it says _'I'm watching you.'_ " Maura replied.

* * *

"Shit, Jane. This nut job has pictures of _everything_, you at the store, at Maura's, even at the crime scene and interviewing witnesses!" Korsak said as he, Jane and Frost looked over the pictures.

"I know you're not going to want to hear this, but I think you should have a tail." Korsak said.

Jane's reaction was epic, just as they expected.

"No … no way! If something happens, I can take care of myself!"

"I think a tail is a good idea, Rizzoli. Especially since it looks like this cabron is targeting you." Martinez's smooth voice said from behind them.

"Forget it!" Jane said as she turned to face him, her dark eyes flashing dangerously.

"I have already talked to the chief of Detectives about it, and he agrees." He said coolly.

"Let me guess, you _graciously_ volunteered." She said with biting sarcasm.

A catlike grin slowly spread across Martinez's handsome face.

"Yes … I _graciously_ offered." He said, grinning widely at her as he hooked his hands in his pockets.

"Oh this is great, just fucking great. It's not bad enough that the freaking Chief of D's thinks I need a _babysitter_ … it also happens to be YOU!" Jane spat, her temper getting the better of her.

Korsak swore he saw a look of hurt flash across Martinez's face, but it was so fleeting that he couldn't be sure if he had imagined it or not.

"Come on, Jane, don't be jerk, All for one and one for all, remember?" Korsak said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

Jane deflated, of course he was right. She blew out a sigh as she turned to Martinez.

"I'm... sorry... I'm just … this thing's got me wigged out, you know?" She said as her gaze concentrated on her boots.

Martinez smiled genuinely at her, not a grin or a smirk, but a genuine _smile_. It gave his handsome features a soft, almost vulnerable look as he leaned into her personal space.

"I am happy to do it, Jane." He said, his smooth, deep voice low, so only she could hear.

Just then, all of their phones buzzed, causing Jane to jump put of her skin.

Martinez chuckled as he dug his out of his pocket.

"Looks like we have another one." Korsak said.

"Where do you think you're going?" Martinez said as he caught Jane's arm.

"To my car … to go to the crime scene." she said slowly, giving him a strange look.

He shook his finger at her.

"I'm you're tail, which means we go _together_."

"Martinez give me a break! Nothing's going to happen to me in the 20 minutes it takes to get to the crime scene."

"Come on." he said stubbornly as he motioned for her to lead the way to the parking garage.

Jane, realizing that he wasn't going to take no for an answer, reluctantly relented.

"_Fine_." she said as she trudged ahead of him.

* * *

"Female, in her early twenties ... looks to have been killed in the same manner as the first girl." Maura said as she looked over the body.

"Maura, I'm proud of you, you made a speculative guess!" Jane said dryly.

"Very funny." Maura replied.

"He slit her throat from jugular to jugular this time." Korsak said.

"He's escalating. We've got to catch this guy before we have a full blown serial killer on our hands." Jane said.

"Too late, according to the state police, we have another one. they found her under one of the piers" Frost said.

"We'll handle this, you two go on." Korsak said as he flashed Jane a sly grin.

"What are you doing!?" Jane hissed.

"Just at least … _try_ , Jane, Rafi's not a bad guy. You've got to put that crap behind you!" Korsak whispered back, his tone scolding.

"That's not what's … you wouldn't understand." Jane said as she spun on her heel to follow Martinez to their car.

"I do understand ... and I think you're scared." Korsak called after her.

Jane blew out a breath and didn't even dignify that with an answer as she rounded the corner to find Martinez waiting, leaning against the driver's side of their car, oozing that casual, easy confidence that she hated to admit that she liked best about him.

Maura was right, he was an 'alpha male', as she put it and she hated herself for admitting it … but she _liked_ it.

He smirked at her as he opened the door and slid behind the wheel.

"Sorry … Korsak wanted to talk to me about ... something." she said as she slid into the passenger seat.

Martinez didn't inquire, which she was grateful for.

* * *

"So, is this one of yours?" A state police detective by the name of Christian Burke said as ducked under the police tape to join them.

"Yeah, it looks like it, the MO seems to match the other one we found this morning." Jane said as she kneeled down to look over the body.

"Hey, thanks for calling us in." She said over her shoulder.

The Burke's cheeks turned pink as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Well … I remember seeing the email … and I knew it was yours so …" he trailed off, his face growing redder.

"Here's my card, if you ever need anything … just …"

"Oh that won't be necessary, but thank you anyway." Martinez said as he slipped smoothly between them, intercepted the business card and handed it back to Burke.

Jane looked from one man to the other, they were sizing each other up like two bull elk before the inevitable clash of antlers, Jane saw something dangerous flash in Martinez's eyes.

"Okay … if you _do_ need anything …" Burke began.

"We won't." Martinez replied, his tone almost a growl as he placed his hand possessively at Jane's back and guided her back to the body.

"What in the hell was _that_ about?" Jane challenged him once they were out of earshot.

"What?" Martinez asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me, you know what I mean." She countered.

"It looked to me that you were marking your territory, about the body." Jane said.

Martinez leaned in, almost close enough to kiss her.

"About _a_ body … yes." he said as he as he let his eyes slide slowly down to her feet, and back up again to meet her eyes.

Jane's lip's pressed together into a thin line and she struggled to retain her composure as a traitorous blush crept up her cheeks.

"Well, _that_ body is _not_ yours to be possessive over." she countered back as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Martinez stepped even closer, he was so close that her crossed arms brushed his chest.

"It _could_ be." he growled into her ear.

"Detective Rizzoli?" A female voice cut in, breaking the moment, and the spell he was beginning to have on her.

"Yes?" Jane said, turning around to address the young CSI.

"I … need to know where you want the body sent to."

"Oh … yeah …" Jane said as she dug into her bag and handed the CSI Maura's card.

Martinez didn't even try to hide his smirk, he loved seeing the affect he had on her, it encouraged him.

"This discussion isn't over." she said as she strode off to her car.

"You're right, it's not." He replied as he followed her.

"What do you want from me?!" She spat once they were in the relative privacy of their car.

Martinez opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off.

"You seem to forget that I've known you for _eight years!_ I _know_ what you want from me, the same damn thing you wanted from all the others. I'll be just another notch on your headboard!" Jane plowed on, not giving him a chance to answer.

Martinez slammed his hands on the steering wheel, startling her into silence as his blazing eyes met hers.

"Ay Dios mío, Rizzoli! I was a different person back then, people _can_ change!" He roared at her.

"I … don't want to lose my heart." Jane finally admitted as she concentrated her stare in front of her.

Martinez fixed her with a long look, full of unabashed longing.

"Qué pasa si ya he perdido mi corazón?" He said quietly.

"What did you say?" Jane asked.

Martinez didn't answer, he merely jammed the key into the ignition and peeled out into traffic.


	4. Chapter 4

The ride back to the precinct was full of awkward silence.

"Doctor Isles should have the body by now, I'm going to check and see if she's found anything." He said flatly as he exited the car without another word or glance in her direction.

"What happened?" Korask asked Jane as Martinez strode past them on the way to the morgue, the fury around him palpable.

Jane gave him the abridged version of what had transpired.

"He … said something in Spanish … _Qué pasa si ya he perdido mi corazón? _I think it was, what does it mean?"

"It means _What happens if I've already lost my heart?_" Korsak said.

" I can't figure him out, he runs so hot and cold!" Jane said.

Korsak put an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm going to fill you in on a little secret about us guys. We might strut around acting all tough and macho, but deep down most of us are just big softies, which is why we guard our hearts like Area 51." He said.

"I really messed up big time again, didn't I?" Jane said as she scrubbed her face with her hands.

"Now be a big girl and go fix it … again." Korask said as he waved her along.

* * *

"Martinez, wait up!" Jane said as she jogged up to meet him as he was leaving the morgue.

"Look ... I was a jerk, and I would hate to lose our friendship over it."

Jane could have sworn she saw a flash of emotion in Martinez' dark eyes as she continued.

"I know people can change, and if you've … found someone special, then I think that's great …" she trailed off as she ran her hand through her hair.

Martinez laughed in spite of it all, she either was completely clueless… or … she was playing it safe. He was willing to put his money on the latter.

"What I'm trying to say is I … I'm sorry." she said in a rush, as though she was afraid she would lose her nerve.

A slow, easy smile spread across Martinez's face.

"Apology accepted, Rizzoli." he said, grinning.

* * *

Jane heaved a satisfied sigh as she kicked her door shut.

"Finally!" she said as she let her bag slide off her shoulder and she shuffled to the fridge for a beer.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

"Oh my god, _really_?!" she said as she dug it out of her bag.

"What!" she barked.

"Jane, where the hell are you?! I've been looking for you all over the precinct!" Martinez's annoyed voice came over the line.

Jane took a deep breath and called on her patience.

"I'm not _at_ the precinct anymore, Martinez, I'm home."

"WHAT?!" He roared.

Jane winced as she held her phone away from her ear.

"Give me a break, I am dead on my feet, it's been a long day." She replied.

"I'm coming over, Jane, I'll be there in fifteen." He said as he hung up before she could get a word in edgewise.

She drew her weapon and began checking her apartment, starting with the bedroom.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms grabbed her roughly from behind, a hand covered her mouth, the other grabbed her weapon hand and twisted, pain shot up her arm, forcing her to drop her gun.

Jane bucked and thrashed to no avail, he was too strong.

"As much as I am enjoying this, I need you complacent." A voice hissed into her ear as she felt the sting of a needle in the side of her neck.

* * *

Martinez trotted up the stairs to Jane's condo, he entered and his blood turned to ice in his veins as he was met with signs of a struggle. The living room lamp was overturned, and there was an empty syringe lying in the doorway to the bedroom.

He swallowed his panic as he dug out his phone.

Korsak picked up after a few rings.

"We need to wake up the chief of Detectives and tell him that we ... that we have an officer missing in the line of duty. " he said, unable to keep his voice from cracking with emotion.

* * *

Jane came to with a groan, she tried to rub her face but found that she couldn't. Her heart thudded in her chest as the events of the evening came flooding back, she pulled uselessly against the chains that bound her to the wall.

"You're awake, good." A quiet voice came from somewhere in the dark room.

"Forgive me for being so brash, but I saw an opportunity, and I had to take it. It's been so hard with your ever present shadow, Lieutenant Martinez, is it? He seems quite taken with you." Her captor said matter of factly.

"Ugh, not you, too." Jane groaned.

Her captor was suddenly inches from her face, his acrid breath caused her stomach to roil and she swallowed the urge to wretch.

"Are you _involved_ with him?" He said as he grabbed her chin roughly.

Jane jerked out of his grasp.

"Don't touch me!" She growled.

With the reflexes of a striking snake, he backhanded her across the face.

"_Are_ you?!" He snarled as he backhanded her again.

"We're ... we're just friends." She said, breathlessly.

"Good, because I don't like to _share_." He said as he left her alone.

* * *

"Here, you look like you need this more than I do." Korsak said as he handed Martinez a large steaming cup of coffee.

"Gracias, amigo." Martinez said as took a long sip.

"Did you even _go_ home last night?" Korsak asked.

"I can't vato... if something happens to her, that's on me …" he trailed off as Frost and Frankie walked up, rubbing their eyes tiredly.

"Hey … where's ours?" Frost asked in mock indignance.

"You guys, too, huh?" Korsak said.

"She knew that I … had a date and she didn't want me to cancel just to take her home." Frost said, his eyes growing misty.

"And she's my big sis, I owe her for so much, and I know she would be doing the same thing if it were me." Frankie said.

Frost laughed sadly. "She'd probably be twice as worse if it was one of us."

They all fell into a sad silence as Maura joined them, looking as tired as they all felt.

"And she's my best friend ..." Maura trailed off as her eyes filled with tears.

After taking a moment to compose herself, she handed them a printout.

"I … have identified the suspect."

"I'll run this through the database." Frost said.

* * *

Jane awoke with a start and grimaced as she eased herself up off the hard stone floor, she must have passed out from sheer exhaustion.

The door to the room where she was kept suddenly swung open, Jane shielded her eyes against the sudden intrusion of light from the hallway. Her captor appeared, his face was concealed behind a mask.

"Come, darling, I have someone I want you to meet." He said as he unlocked her restraints from the wall.

Seizing the opportunity and using the chains that bound her hands, Jane struck her captor across the face with all the strength she could muster in her weakened state. She had been offered food and water, but no way in hell was she going to eat it, and she only drank just enough water to prevent dying from dehydration.

Luckily for her, the blow laid him clean out.

"Take that, asshole." she said, as she swiped the large ring of keys he always kept on his belt before creeping to the door. She checked to see if the coast was clear before slinking out of the room, closing and latching the door behind her.

"Let's see how you like it, you son of a bitch." She said as she crept toward what she hoped was the exit, she had been out cold when he brought her down here, so she was going to have to wing it.

The dungeon-like room she had been kept in opened to a long, dark hallway, it was damp, musty and dimly lit; but, thanks to her stint in complete darkness, she had little trouble seeing; at the end was a large, metal door.

She fumbled with the keys, cursing herself for her trembling hands. She almost wept with happiness when she finally found the right one and the door opened with a loud reluctant groan.

* * *

_Notes: I know the ending to this was a bit sudden, but it would have been far too long if I didn't end it here._


	5. Chapter 5

_Notes: Okay, before anyone crucifies me, I would like to state in a disclaimer that I have never been to Boston or the New England area, so this is all going to be based on a lot of hours painstaking research, studying maps, and a good bit of flying by the seat of my pants here. Believe me when I say that I tried my best to be accurate._

* * *

"Raffi, I know how you feel, believe me, but we're no good to her _dead_!" Korsak said as he gripped the 'oh shit' handle as Martinez weaved in and out of traffic, leading the charge of half a dozen police cars with full lights and sirens.

Martinez glanced over at Korsak.

"What? don't you trust me?"

"Normally, yes, but not right now!" Korsak said.

"GPS says ETA twenty five minutes out." Frost said from the back seat.

Martinez ground his teeth as he leaned on the accelerator. Images of all the times he had been just a _second_ too late flashed through his mind, if he was too late for this one, he would never forgive himself.

* * *

"Holy shit, _finally_!" Jane said as she stumbled through a door and was met with fresh, crisp night air.

She heard them before she saw them … sirens, their wails echoing around the quiet countryside like a pack of wolves. A shaky sigh of relief escaped her and the adrenaline she had been running on ebbed away and she collapsed.

"Jane!"

She was vaguely aware of Maura's voice coming from somewhere in front of her as she was helped to her feet.

"Oh … Jane." Maura said as she looked her over, grimacing at the deep cut across her cheek that her captor's ring had made when he struck her.

"It's nothing, it doesn't even hurt that bad." Jane said as she offered a weak smile.

"Of course we come charging in with the Calvary to rescue you and you end up rescuing _yourself_." Korsak said with a laugh as officers filed into the abandoned mill with their guns drawn.

"Sorry to steal your thunder, Korsak." Jane replied with a laugh. Suddenly, she found herself being pulled into a hug as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.

"Martinez ... hey … I'm fine, it'll take more than some whack job to do me in." Jane said as she awkwardly patted him on the back.

He felt her suddenly stiffen in his arms, he turned to see the unsub being led away in handcuffs. Martinez whirled around, putting himself protectively in front of Jane.

"Tienes suerte de que ella no esté muerta, bastardo!" He snarled, his eyes blazing.

Korsak snorted.

"What did he say?" Frost asked.

"He said _You're lucky she isn't dead, you bastard._" Korsak replied.

* * *

"Jane, what are you doing?" Maura said as she walked in on Jane shrugging painfully into her shirt.

"Going home." Jane said as she gathered her things.

"Not without a doctor's okay you're not." Maura said as she blocked the door.

"Well, how convenient that my friend who also happens to be a doctor, happened to show up!" She said with a mischievous grin as the doctor stepped in.

"Miss Rizzoli, where do you think you're going?" He said as he crossed his arms in front of him.

"Home." Jane replied as she shrugged into her coat.

"Not until I release you." The doctor replied as he glanced at her chart.

"My friend here is also a doctor so … can't you just … release me into her care?" Jane offered, her expression hopeful.

"You might as well, she's just going to sneak out when you're not looking." Maura said bluntly.

"She's right." Jane agreed.

The doctor blanched a little as he scribbled on her chart.

"Yes … okay … I think that can be arranged. Let me get your paperwork together with instructions for Doctor Isles." He said as he excused himself.

"Instructions?" Jane quipped as they walked to the nurses station.

"Yes, apparently you received quite a severe concussion. After a concussion, a person should be woken up every two to three hours to assess how you are looking, acting, and feeling. Additionally, the brain is more susceptible to additional injuries after it has suffered from a concussion. It is important after a concussion that you can better monitor changes to your symptoms in the days, weeks, and months." Maura said.

"Okay … sure, what you said." Jane said replied.

* * *

"I just want to take a shower and sleep for five years." Jane said as she let her bag fall at the door.

"Remember, I will be waking you up every three hours, as per the protocol for concussion." Maura said.

"Well, I'd rather it be you at home than some stranger at a hospital … I guess." Jane replied as she walked tiredly to the bathroom.

Maura settled on the couch and busied herself with a book she had brought, Jo Friday hopped into one of the recliners as the doorbell rang.

"Maura, can you get that? It's probably the pizza." Jane called from the bathroom as the shower turned off.

"Lieutenant Martinez ...!" Maura trailed off, watching him with an amused expression as he handed her the pizza box and strolled in like he owned the place.

Just then Jane walked in, wearing nothing but a red satin robe and twisting her long dark hair up into a towel.

"Maura, the money's in the tray by the door …" She trailed off as she locked eyes with Martinez.

A slow, almost predatory smile spread across Martinez's face as his gaze traveled slowly down the length of her body and back up again, his dark eyes sparkling. Jane felt her face heat up as her intuition told her that he somehow knew she was completely naked underneath the thin, satin robe.

"How much do we owe you?" Maura said politely, not missing a beat.

"Don't worry about it." He said smoothly, his eyes not leaving Jane's.

"Well, then we insist that you stay for dinner, we have beer." Maura said, her sentence ending in a grunt as Jane elbowed her painfully in the ribs.

"Maura, I'm sure that Martinez has better things to do that have pizza with the likes of us." Jane said, a faux smile plastered on her face.

"Actually, I don't." He said, his smile widening.

"Well then it's settled, help yourself to some pizza, I'll get you a beer." Maura said as she strode into the kitchen.

Martinez made himself comfortable on the couch and reached for a slice.

Jane found herself admiring the easy air of confidence he always had about him, no matter the situation; he was dangerous, he was sexy … and he was looking at right at her.

"I … uh … better check on Maura." Jane said as she dashed towards the kitchen.

"What in the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" She hissed at her, intercepting her as she headed out with two beers and a water for Jane, since according to Maura, she shouldn't be drinking because of her concussion. Which was a drag, because if there was ever a time she needed a drink, it was tonight.

"What ever do you mean?" Maura asked innocently.

"Don't give me that crap!" Jane hissed.

"I'm doing you a favor!" Maura replied.

"And how do you figure that?!"

Maura blew out a breath.

"It's _obvious_ that you two like each other, you both are just _so_ stubborn, so I'm just giving you a little .. push." Maura said as she shoved the beer and the bottle of water into her hands and physically pushed her out into the living room.

"I guess I'm … bringing you a beer." she said as she handed one to him.

He smiled that cocky half smile that made her stomach flutter, though she wouldn't admit that to anyone, even Maura as he slowly took it from her.

"Sit." he said as he gestured to the cushion next to him.

She slowly sank onto the couch as she twisted the cap off her water and flipped it onto the coffee table with a flick of her thumb where it landed perfectly, top side down.

"I always liked that little party trick of yours." He said with a laugh.

"Martinez, what are you doing here?" Jane asked abruptly.

"Somos amigos, cierto? Don't friends check on each other? Especially when that friend just went through some heavy shit?" He replied as he finished up his slice of pizza and wiped his hands with a napkin.

"But … I have Maura here …" Jane countered.

Martinez stood so fast that it startled her.

"Ay dios mio, Jane! Por favor dame paciencia!" He growled as he strode angrily to the door.

"Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jane said as she followed him.

Jo Friday watched them curiously from her perch on the recliner, her head darting from Jane to Martinez, as though she were watching a tennis match.

He blew out a steadying breath and took a moment to compose himself before he turned around to face her.

"One of these days, you're going to have to let someone in, Jane. If you keep pushing people away, one day they won't come back." He said, his words came out with more venom than he intended, but he couldn't help it, he was just so damn frustrated.

Jane deflated.

"It's hard for me to … let people in! There, I said it ... are you _happy_ now?!" she spat as she swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Before she knew what was happening, Martinez was enveloping her in his strong arms. He felt her tense for a moment, before she relaxed in his embrace.

"I hope you'll talk to someone after this." He said, his voice husky with emotion.

Jane pulled back so she could look him in the eye.

"I have this … shrink that I know, I … guess I could give him a call." She said.

"You guess, or you will?" He challenged as he raised his eyebrow at her.

"I will, I promise. Scout's honor."

"You were never a scout." He said with a laugh.

"Well, then you're just going to have to trust me, aren't you?" She said as she put her hands on her hips as Martinez looked at his watch.

"It's getting late, I should be going, I think I've taken up enough of you ladies' time." He said as he strode to the door.

"Listen, thanks for coming over, I guess I'll … see you at work? Once I'm cleared for duty, of course." she said as she flashed him a mischievously innocent smile.

Martinez suddenly stepped close, leaving no space between them, he cupped her face in his rough, strong hands and pressed his lips to her cheek in a long, sensual kiss.

"Hasta luego, Rizzoli." He whispered intimately into her ear, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her body.

And with that, he was gone without a second look. Jane's gaze was fixated on the door for a long while after he had gone.

"Okay … what just _happened_?!" She said as she put a hand to her burning face.

"Well, I stand corrected, he isn't merely attracted to you, he's _in love_ with you." Maura said with conviction.


	6. Chapter 6

Jane walked into the precinct three months later to find her desk crowded with gifts.

"You guys didn't have to do this." she said.

"I know we didn't." Korsak said with a smile.

Jane wasn't listening, she was too busy studying the woman sitting in Cavanaugh's old office.

"Who's that?" She asked.

"Lieutenant Violet Byrne … our new boss." Korsak said.

"I … guess that means that Martinez will be moving on soon, too." She said, trying in vain to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're going to miss me." Martinez said, smirking as he strode up to them.

It was as if the universe took pity on her, and relieved her from having to give an answer, because their new Lieutenant strode up to them. She was almost the same high as Jane, and looked to be around Korsak's age, her grey hair was cut short, giving her face a severe look.

"Detective Rizzoli, it's nice to finally meet you. I was told what happened." She said as they shook hands, Jane noted the strength in her handshake.

"It'll take more than some two-bit creep to do me in." Jane said, her tone dismissive and humorous.

The ghost of a smile crossed Byrne's hard features.

"I expected nothing less." she said as she turned on her heel and strode back to her office.

"Wow." Jane said once she was out of earshot.

"They don't call her _'Icy Byrne'_ for nothing." Korsak said as their phones buzzed.

"Oh hell, six people gunned down in the parking lot of a Walmart." Jane said.

* * *

"All these people were killed with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, right at the base of the skull." Maura said

"Looks like we have a sniper on our hands." Jane said as she knelt next to one of the bodies, a young man in his twenties, the back of his SUV was open and his cart, still full of groceries, sat next to his body, still waiting to be unloaded.

She looked around, shielding her eyes against the bright spring sun.

"Any one of those buildings could've been his vantage point, we'll need to have CSI check them all." She said as she watched the bodies get bagged up.

* * *

"300 Winchester Magnum. That was the caliber of ammunition that was used to kill these poor people." Maura said as Jane walked through the door.

"This mutt wasn't screwing around." She said as she looked over the paperwork given to her by senior criminalist Susie Chang.

"I wish I could give you something more specific, according to my research, 300 Winchester Magnum is a fairly common caliber of ammunition." Maura said.

"Well, there aren't that many weapons that are capable of a long range, precision shot like that on the public market, it might be time to kick some dumpsters and scare out some rats." Jane said.

"Well, you can count me out on this trip, I'm positively _terrified_ of rats. Maybe you could ask Rafael? He doesn't look like the type to be afraid of rats." Maura said with a wink.

* * *

Jane caught up with Martinez on his way out of the break room.

"Hey … I was gonna see if I can do some rat catching, you can come with me if you want."

He smiled unabashedly at her. "It would be my pleasure."

* * *

Martinez watched her as they sat in her cruiser in a run down corner of inner city Boston.

"You look tired."

"Not sleeping will do that to a person." She replied, keeping her gaze pointed forward.

"You promised me you would talk to someone." He reminded her.

"I _am_ … and I hate to admit it but it's … really helped. But it still doesn't stop the nightmares." She admitted.

"It's okay to lean on someone every once and a while, Jane." He said as he stared unblinkingly at her.

"I'm a big girl Raf, I'll be fine." she said flatly.

"Yeah, you're really good at pushing people away." He said sharply.

Jane's irish temper flared and she opened her mouth to retort but then she took notice of a thin, wispy middle aged man walking toward their car.

"There's our rat." She said as she threw open the door.

"Hey Shiver, long time, no see!" Jane said as she strode towards him.

He took one look at her and bolted.

"Really?!" she said as she charged after him.

Panting like a frightened dog running from the dog catcher, he ducked into an alley. He came out the other side, only to be close lined right in the throat by Jane.

"Do we have to go through this _every_ time I wanna talk to you?" She said, kneeling next to him as Martinez cuffed him.

"We could've had a nice, friendly chat on the street, now, we're gonna have it at the precinct." she said as she hauled him up.

* * *

"Like I … I already told you, I … I don't know nothin'!" He said, he was shaking so badly that he could hardly talk.

"That's why we call him 'shiver'." Jane said to Martinez as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her hip against the table.

"If we didn't think you knew anything, do you really think we would waste our time with you?" Martinez asked smoothly.

"I can't, he'll kill me!" Shiver pleaded.

Martinez plopped a large bag filled with crack onto the table.

"This is enough to charge you with felony possession with intent to sell." He said, his voice low as he leaned forward in his chair.

"And think of what they will do to you once they learn that you're a snitch." Jane added.

"You … can't do that!" Shiver said as his terrified eyes flew between Jane and Martinez.

"Can … and _will_ … unless you help us." Jane said as she smiled sweetly at him.

"What are you gonna do for me if I do help you?" Shiver inquired, he might be a sewer rat, but he was no fool.

"The bad news, vato, is you're still going to jail. But if you help us, I'll see to it that you go to a medium security prison and are kept separate from the rest of the population." Martinez said.

Shiver looked at him with the expression of a kid waiting to open his presents on Christmas morning.

"You mean it?" He said hopefully.

Martinez gave him that smile Jane was sure could charm a mother into giving up her first born child.

"Absolutely." He replied.

"Okay … I don't know his real name, he's one of those one-namers, like Cher, you know? All I know is he goes by Stone. He heard from the little birdies that I deal in guns and all that, but I don't do that shit no more."

"What was he looking for?" Jane asked.

"Something foreign … SAKO TRG 42 … I think that was it."

"That's one of the best rifles in the world." Martinez said

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Jane asked.

"Oh yeah! Guy's a real scary dude, I couldn't forget him if I tried!" Shiver said.

"Good, then we're gonna send a sketch artist in here, and you're gonna help us make a picture to go with this guy's name." Martinez said.

* * *

"Yikes, Shiver wasn't kidding, dude's scary looking as hell." Frankie said as he gave the sketch back to Jane.

"Is that the possible suspect?" Byrne said as she motioned for them to hand her the sketch.

"We were just going to get it out to the press …" Jane began

"No. Not yet, it might cause mass hysteria. We'll only release his picture to the public as a last resort." She said as she handed the sketch back to them and strode back to her office.

"Can you believe her?!" Jane said in disbelief as Martinez rejoined them, a shadowed look on his handsome face.

"Anything wrong?" Jane asked him.

"No, I'm good, so when do we go to the press with this?" He asked, slipping back into his usual, charming demenor as he gestured to the sketch.

"We don't, our new _boss_ doesn't want it released unless as a last resort." Frankie said.

"Su puta madre!" Martinez cursed.

"My sentiments exactly." Korsak agreed.

"Well, then why the hell are we all standing around here with our thumbs up our asses, lets collar this mutt!" Frankie said.

Just then, all their phones went off.

"Son of a bitch, we got another one." Jane said.

* * *

AN: For all those who are mad because I didn't translate everything, if you remember rightly, that happens a few times in the show, it just didn't bother me because I speak Spanish. I just felt that it would cause the story to be too cumbersome if I took the trouble to translate every little thing. 


	7. Chapter 7

"Same modus operandi, single shot to the back of the head, caliber looks to be the same as the others." Maura said as she looked over each of the bodies.

"According to witnesses, people just started dropping, there was too much chaos after that. No one saw much of anything." Frost said.

"Shit!" Jane cursed.

"Excuse me, Detectives?" A woman's voice said from behind them.

"Detectives, this is Doctor Shelly Michaels, Boston Police's resident weapons and ammunitions expert." Maura said.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but I believe I might have found the vantage point our suspect used to take his shot." she said.

"Show me." Jane replied.

She led them to an abandoned building overlooking the park.

"This window, this is where he took his shot, I also found this." she said as she showed them a shell casing, already bagged.

"This guy's good, he picked up every shell, except he missed this one because it rolled under this loose floorboard and he couldn't get at it." She said

"Get this to Maura, it's a long shot, but she might be able to get something off it." Jane said.

* * *

"Well, no prints as I suspected, but I was able to get a serial number off the casing." Maura said.

"Good. That will at least narrow down the number of ammo suppliers we need to hit." Jane said as she strode to the door and in her haste, almost collided with Martinez.

"I should've known you'd beat me down here." He said.

"I … was just coming to find you, Maura was able to get a serial number off the casing we found. Wanna … hit gun stores with me?" She asked, her words tumbling out quickly

"Absolutamente, carina, vamonos!" He said as he strode out.

"That means _'Let's go'_." Maura clarified with her.

* * *

"Oh my god my feet are killing me." Jane said, luckily for them, this was the last stop on their list.

"I could carry you if you want." Martinez quipped, his eyes sparkling.

"Uh … no." she said, shooting him a warning look as he held the door open for her.

"Hi! I was just fixing to close, but I'd be happy to help you." The man behind the counter said.

"You sell any Remington 300 win mag ammo to this guy?" Martinez said as he showed the man the sketch.

"Oh yeah, I'll never forget that dude as long as I live, what a creep! I should've known he was dirty." He said, shuddering as he ducked behind his desk.

"Of course everyone has to show proof of a firearms license before I'll sell them anything." he made a point to say as he handed them a print out.

"Jonathan Maze, such an ordinary sounding name for a psycho." Martinez said, studying the copy of the license as they stepped out of the shop.

"Get down!" Jane suddenly shouted as he shoved Martinez out of the way.

She grit her teeth as the sniper's bullet that was meant for her head grazed her shoulder.

"Get behind the car, GO!" Martinez roared as they scrambled behind their cruiser and drew their weapons.

"You're hit!" He said as another bullet whistled through the air, Jane turned her head away as the round hit the poor gun shop owner right in the forehead and exploded out the back of his skull.

"I'm fine … it's just a graze." She said as they plastered their backs against the door of their cruiser.

Unable to reach their car's radio, Jane fumbled for her phone.

"Korask, we're pinned down here at the corner of Silver and D street!"

"Hang tight, Jane, cavalry's coming!" Korsak replied.

* * *

"We cased the area, but he slipped us." Frankie said as Frost studied the slug embedded in the wall behind where Jane had been standing.

"Son of a bitch, that would've gone right through Jane's head." Frost said as they dug the slug out and bagged it.

"Yeah …" Martinez trailed off as she walked to where Jane was getting treated by the EMT's

"How did you know?" He asked.

"I saw the glint of the sun off the scope, lucky we walked out when we did, any later and the sun would've been behind the buildings …" She trailed off.

"He was aiming for me." Jane finished abruptly.

"I know." he replied as his eyes met hers.

"Gracias, Preciosa. He said.

"What are friends for, right?" Jane said as she offered a smile.

"You good to get outa here? The least I could do is buy a round for the woman who saved my ass." Martinez said.

She motioned for him to lead the way.

* * *

"... Then the police K9 took him down and grabbed him by the pants … and pulled them right off! You had to tackle him bare assed!" Jane laughed as they recalled all the collars they had made during her stint together in the drug unit.

"I remember when you worked vice, ay mamacita." He said as he let out a low whistle.

"I sure don't miss the long winter nights trolling the street in a fur coat, crop top and a mini skirt looking for Johns." Jane said as she shuddered.

"But you made it look so _good_." He replied, grinning.

"I did catch a lot of fish with my bait, didn't I?" She said as she flashed him a coy grin.

Martinez's smile suddenly dissolved as he took a deep swig of his beer.

"I've been asked to head up a task force for the border patrol along the Texas - Mexico border." He said abruptly.

"W … what?" She said, shocked.

"I'm flying out as soon as this case is closed." He said, not meeting her eyes.

"And it just occurred to you to tell me?!" She said, her eyes flashing the way they always did when her temper flared.

"I was trying to find the right time to tell you." he said as she stood so quickly that she almost upset her chair.

"I thought we were friends!" She spat.

"We _are_! I just …"

"Friends don't keep shit like this from one another." she said as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"I have to go … I can't be here right now." she said as she stormed out.

"Goddamn it!" Martinez cursed as he slammed his fist down on the table. He had _just_ begun to chip away at the wall she had put up, and because of one stupid mistake on his part, it would now be rebuilt so strongly that he would probably have no hope of ever getting through it.

* * *

"So, he's leaving?" Maura said from her couch as Jane paced back and forth in front of her like an angry tiger.

"I can't _believe_ he didn't tell me!" Jane roared.

"I am sure he had his reasons." Maura offered.

"He _always_ does this, you know? He floats back into my life, somehow gets me to let my guard down and then bam! He's gone again!" Jane spat.

"And why does that bother you so much?" Maura said with a raised eyebrow.

"Because we were SUPPOSED to be friends!" She snarled as she resumed her pacing.

"You love him." Maura said bluntly.

"What?!"

"It makes perfect sense." Maura clarified.

Jane opened her mouth to retort, but she came up empty. How could she argue? Maura was right.

"Now the _real_ question, is what are you going to _do_ about it." Maura said.

"He's leaving soon anyway so … nothing." Jane replied pushing her hair back as she lifted her gaze to Maura's.

"But …" Maura began but Jane cut her off.

"He's dangerous territory, Maura. I just need to get through this case, and then he'll … be gone and I can move on with my life." She said.

"You're not the only one who's lost their heart in this." Maura said empathetically.

Jane laughed bitterly as she scrubbed her face with her hands.

"There's got to be a logical explanation behind his leaving, just … promise me you won't jump to conclusions, okay?" Maura said.

"No promises … but I'll try." Jane replied.

* * *

_AN: To everyone who is calling me a man, my pen name is 'thedragoness' and I assumed people would get the jest that I was a woman, but evidently not. _

_Also my choices in this story are mine to make, and if you don't like them, you don't have to read it._


	8. Chapter 8

"Got him!" Frost said as he trotted up to Korsak and Frankie with a printout of Jonathan Maze's address. As they had suspected, it was a property out in the middle of the forest.

"Is that him?" Martinez said as he joined them, Korsak and Frankie exchanged a look as Jane bristled like an angry cat.

"Si vato, quieres venir con nosotros?" Korsak asked.

"Tienes que preguntar?" Martinez replied with a wide grin.

"Frost, Frankie I will ride together, you ride with Jane." Korsak said.

"Korsak, what the hell?! No way!" Jane roared.

Korsak merely smiled innocently at her as they parted ways.

"Great, just fucking great." Jane said as she stormed off to the elevators.

* * *

"Good, this gives us a chance to talk, especially since you've been avoiding me at work and you won't return my calls." Martinez said.

"There goes my hope that you would get the hint." Jane said bitterly under her breath.

Martinez looked sharply at her, his nostrils flaring.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I kick myself every day for making that choice!"

"You always _do _this, though! And it wouldn't bother me if you didn't go and make me think that you actually wanted something _serious_!" She said, her words tumbling out before she could stop them.

"I _do_ care, Jane, but I have a job to do, and a boss I have to listen too same as you!" He replied as the car in front of theirs turned onto a gravel road.

"We're here." Jane said as she drew her weapon and checked the clip.

"This discussion is not over." He said as they watched the SWAT team file out of their vans and establish a perimeter.

"Oh, goody." She said bitterly as she adjusted the Velcro on her bulletproof vest and exited the car and crept toward the dark house, careful to keep low.

"We're in position." the SWAT commander said into her earpiece.

"Let's go get him." She said.

The SWAT team filed in and they followed in behind, room to room they went, but all were empty.

"Shit!" Jane said as she ran her hand through her wild dark hair.

"11-44, threat neutralized. The son of a bitch was in a deer blind, waiting to pick us off, one of my snipers got him." The SWAT commander's voice came over their radios.

"Look at it this way, at least we saved the city of Boston the trouble of a trial." Korsak said as they watched the CSI team do their thing.

"This mutt was a hardcore prepper, he had a fully furnished bomb shelter and everything." Frankie said.

"Yeah, hey, you guys mind if Martinez catches a ride with you? I want to get back and get a head start on the mountain of paperwork that's gonna be waiting for me on this case." Jane said.

"We'll finish up here." Korsak said, Jane smiled gratefully at him before she turned and strode out.

* * *

"Yes!" Jane said as she smacked the last page of the paperwork on top of a huge stack. Three hours and two pots of coffee later, she was finally finished, she walked around the corner to Lieutenant Byrne's office and was surprised to find that she too, was still here.

"And I thought I was the only one burning the candle at both ends." Jane said a she sat the stack of paperwork on her desk.

"How are you doing, Jane?" Byrne asked abruptly.

Jane shrugged. "Better now that I'm not in the crosshairs of some psychopath."

Byrne leaned back in her chair and propped her feet up on the desk.

"You did a hell of a job on this case, I'll make sure the Chief of D's knows it." She said.

"Well … I had a lot of help from my amazing colleagues." Jane said.

"I'll be sure to mention that to him as well." Byrne said, her mouth quirking upwards in an almost-smile.

"Thank you, Ma'am." Jane said as she turned to leave.

"It wasn't Martinez's choice to go on loan to the border patrol task force." Byrne said abruptly.

Jane stopped in her tracks and turned to face her.

"What?"

"It came down the line from the Chief of Detectives, and let me tell you, he wasn't happy at all. If you look behind my door, you'll see the good-sized dent his fist made in my wall." Byrne said, her expression was neutral, the woman had one hell of a poker face.

"Have a good night. Detective Rizzoli." Byrne said with an air of finality.

"Yes Ma'am." Jane said as she took the hint and left.

She rounded the corner just as Korsak, Frankie, Frost and Martinez walked in.

"We need to talk." She said as she pulled Martinez into the break room.

"Byrne told me why you're really leaving, that the order came from the Chief of D's. She also told me that you weren't happy about it." She said said she pinned him with her gaze.

"No, I wasn't." He said.

"She said you put a _fist_ through her wall." Jane said with a snort.

"I did." He replied.

"I should've let you explain instead of jumping to conclusions. You were right when you said that we were great together when we didn't talk." She said as she offered a smile.

"Apology accepted, Rizzoli … again." He said with a grin.

"So … when do you leave?" She asked.

"I fly out first thing in the morning." He replied.

"What do you say to a nightcap?" She asked.

That all too familiar mischievous, cat like grin spread across his face.

"I'll drive." he replied.

* * *

"You're making me feel bad." Jane said as she was half way through her third beer, and he had only had one.

"I'm driving, remember?" He reminded her.

"I should've listened to you about Yolanda, you were right, she wasn't ready. " She said.

"Since when do you ever listen to me? Or anyone for that matter." He said with a smirk as he stood.

"Come on, let me take you home."

* * *

"Listen, thanks for putting up with my ass all these years, I know I don't make it easy." She said as they came to a stop in front of her door.

Martinez stepped close, leaving almost no space between them.

"I like a challenge." He said.

"Do you now?" She replied.

"I do." He said, then without warning, he kissed her.

His kisses were every bit as good as she remembered, then, all too soon, it was over.

"I'll see you when I get back." He purred into her ear as he stepped back and turned to go.

Jane suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him into a spontaneous, passionate kiss, her tongue boldly entering his mouth to entangle with his.

Martinez pried his lips off of hers.

"Goddamn it, Jane, why do you do this to me when you know I can't stay." He said, he was breathing like he had just run a two mile sprint.

"So you'll have something to look forward to when you get back." she replied innocently.

"I already have something to look forward to." He growled as he kissed her again.

This time she broke it off.

"You'd better get the hell out of here before I handcuff you and drag you inside." She said.

His look became almost predatory as he stepped towards her again.

"GO!" she ordered with a laugh as she pointed to the street, he raised his hands in front of him in mock defense, laughing as he turned and walked towards his car.

Images of the situation at the border suddenly flashed into her mind. She had heard enough talk from DEA agents about how nasty it was. She didn't want to think about it, but there _was _a chance that he … might not be coming back … and that was all the incentive she needed.

"Raf!" She called after him, he paused, his car door open, he turned to her.

"Tell me that you want me to stay, and I'll stay." He said.

"I want you to stay." She said, her gaze never wavering from his.

* * *

_Notes: To all those who are leaving nasty, hateful comments; __This show has been one of my favorites for a long time, and I have just as much right to write about it as anyone else, and if that ruffles a few feathers than so be it, to be honest, I really don't care. I'm going to keep writing what makes me happy, and to hell with everyone else._


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